College Football Playoff Committee Ranking ACC Highly Bodes Well for Clemson

The Clemson Tigers dropped in the rankings drastically with their latest loss, but the College Football Playoff Committee ranking the ACC highly is a good sign for the future.

Nov 2, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to wide receiver Antonio Williams (0) against the Louisville Cardinals during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers have had a rollercoaster ride of a season this year that is currently bookended by two ugly losses, one in a blowout to the Georgia Bulldogs, and one at home to the Louisville Cardinals.

It could be said and has, that the Tigers winning this year has been on the back of a weak schedule, but the old adage goes, "You can only play the teams on your schedule," and for the most part, Clemson has done that very well.

Even with their two losses this year, they do still find themselves ranked in both the AP and the Coaches polls, and with the initial College Football Playoff rankings for the 2024 campaign dropping last night, they are on that list as well.

The Tigers just made the cut for the College Football Playoffs top 25, but with how the committee ranked the rest of the ACC, the future could be quite favorable for Clemson.

In a recent article from The Athletic, Scott Dochterman broke down the prime takeaways from the initial rankings for each conference, and for the Atlantic Coast Conference, things are looking up.

"The ACC has five ranked teams, which is more than the Big Ten," writes Dochterman, "the teams are evenly spaced with Miami at No. 4, SMU the first team out and three others in the back half. If those teams can keep winning, there’s a chance both Miami and SMU could make the CFP."

While it is quite unlikely that the Tigers make their way into the top 12 this season, the ACC being looked upon as greater than the Big 10 could work in Clemson's favor moving forward, especially with the Miami Hurricanes and SMU Mustangs both being unlikely to lose down the stretch and both potentially getting a bite at the postseason apple.

It has not been the best season for the Tigers under head coach Dabo Swinney, but the program, and the nation, have learned a lot about this team and its chances for success in the future.

It will take a miracle for Clemson to make it into the College Football Playoffs this year, and Swinney will never hesitate to talk about miracles.

The main thing to do is win, regardless of the competition that is put in front of you, and outside of two losses bookending their 2024 campaign to this point, the Tigers have shown that they are still capable of doing just that.